John Rutherford

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, America doesn't have a gun violence problem, we have a human violence problem. But those across the aisle don't want to talk about that because then you have to talk about the culture of death that we have created in this country. Killing 63 million unborn children. Denying the sanctity of life. That is the conversation that they don't want to have. Mr. Speaker, as a former police officer, I have encountered many dangerous people with guns, and we stopped them before they hurt themselves or others. We identified them. We identified the threats that they were making. Then we were able to intervene and stop those individuals before they became a shooter. That is what we should be focused on in the wake of these recent tragedies. Give law enforcement the tools and resources to stop those who have shown a propensity to become violent. That is what we should be focusing on, not defunding the police, not demoralizing the police, not delegitimizing the police. We should be focused on assisting the police and identifying these individuals who want to commit crime.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall No. 371. members recorded pursuant to house resolution 8, 117th congress Barragan (Correa) Bowman (Neguse) Boyle, Brendan F. (Beyer) Brown (MD) (Evans) Carter (TX) (Weber (TX)) Castro (TX) (Correa) Cawthorn (Greene (GA)) Connolly (Beyer) Crist (Wasserman Schultz) DeFazio (Pallone) Demings (Kelly (IL)) Escobar (Garcia (TX)) Foster (Spanberger) Garcia (IL) (Takano) Gohmert (Weber (TX)) Gosar (Weber (TX)) Grijalva (Correa) Houlahan (Spanberger) Kahele (Correa) Kirkpatrick (Pallone) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Leger Fernandez (Correa) Meng (Kuster) Mfume (Evans) Moore (WI) (Beyer) Newman (Beyer) Pascrell (Pallone) Pingree (Kuster) Porter (Neguse) Reschenthaler (Keller) Rice (SC) (Meijer) Salazar (Waltz) San Nicolas (Takano) Sherrill (Pallone) Sires (Pallone) Smucker (Keller) Taylor (McHenry) Thompson (MS) (Bishop (GA)) Walorski (Fischbach) Williams (GA) (Neguse) Wilson (FL) (Evans) Wilson (SC) (Norman) Amendments En Bloc No. 6 Offered by Ms. DeLauro of Connecticut

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Speaker, this week's Consumer Price Index report indicates that we just reached a 40-year high in June. This kind of inflation is a tax on every American and a threat to our middle-class families. As a result of Democrats' reckless, trillion-dollar inflationary spending, hardworking Americans are taking a pay cut, and failed relief plans have caused unprecedented financial challenges to the U.S. economy, hitting the American taxpayers the hardest. Some of my friends on the other side of the aisle blame the inflation on the war in Ukraine, but Americans faced sharp, rising inflation long before Russia invaded Ukraine. Now, additional price increases across the board continue to eat away at the paychecks of this Nation's workforce, making it even harder to achieve the American Dream for millions of Americans. I am sure many of my colleagues can relate when I say I have conversations back home with folks who are struggling to afford everyday essentials, including baby formula and fuel, that continue to be in short supply. President Biden and the Democrats' lack of concrete solutions are falling short. The President's first action upon taking office was to end construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and issue a moratorium on new oil and gas permits on Federal lands. His most recent efforts to court oil deals with our hostile counterparts in Saudi Arabia are futile. In fact, it was embarrassing today. Increasing America's energy independence is the best way to alleviate the pressure Americans feel at the gas pump. This means producing more American energy, not less. Restoring American energy production here at home will make our country more prosperous and secure while lowering the price at the gas pump. I recently cosponsored the American Energy Independence from Russia Act which would reopen the Keystone XL pipeline, increase our natural gas production and exports, encourage energy and mineral development on foreign lands, and prevent needless regulation on domestic oil and gas production. However, those across the aisle have consistently blocked this legislation for a total of seven times. Seven times. This war on affordable energy production is the main culprit for both the high gas prices and skyrocketing food prices. Given the current economic climate, it is critical that Congress thoroughly consider how legislation will contribute to future inflation. For this reason, I cosponsored the Informed Lawmaking to Combat Inflation Act. This would require the Congressional Budget Office to provide an inflation estimate for major pieces of legislation so that Members of Congress can be best informed about how these spending bills will impact inflation. I also supported the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which lowered tax rates for all Americans and simplified our tax code. We must continue efforts to lower taxes, not raise taxes, especially at a time like this. We should take this opportunity to make the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act tax cuts permanent. The President's inflation crisis is already costing the American U.S. household $6,000 as they encounter the skyrocketing cost of goods. The American people deserve commonsense solutions that will help ease the economic burden. Future generations of Americans depend on the financial decisions made today. I will keep fighting for real relief for hardworking Americans and am focused on legislation that supports the middle class and allows hardworking Floridians and others to keep more of their paychecks, allowing families to better save for college, invest in their retirement, and spend more time with their loved ones.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Stauber amendment No. 83 that is in this en bloc. This amendment would simply provide oversight over the DOD's management of religious and medical exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine requirement. At a time when we need every servicemember we can get, I am concerned that there are people being discharged from the military without full consideration of their religious or medical exemptions.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, it is past time for more transparency in the exemption process so we can ensure that our servicemembers' requests are being properly considered and fairly adjudicated. While I don't think our servicemembers should be subject to the COVID-19 vaccine at all, the least we can do is bring transparency to the process of those who are seeking a legitimate exemption. I thank Mr. Stauber for introducing this commonsense amendment and looking out for the best interests of our men and women in uniform.

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment. The Freedom-class littoral combat ships fill an important operational need in the Navy's fleet. We have invested billions in this program and decommissioning nine ships at the beginning of their service life is complete financial malpractice and takes away from important assets that can be used around the globe. This amendment would have a direct negative impact on our national security. The Chinese Communist Party plans to expand their fleet, which will reach 460 vessels by 2030. Meanwhile, in the same time period, the U.S. fleet will shrink to less than 300. These ships aren't perfect, as was mentioned earlier; no new class of ship is. But scrapping these ships at less than half their average life cycle is like throwing away a dime to save a nickel. Admiral Gumbleton himself said that the fix for these isn't an exorbitant amount of money. Why is it worth scrapping them entirely and throwing away billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars? The push to decommission these ships is a multimillion-dollar misstep. These ships are out in the fleet and they are executing missions in littoral waters, making our country safer--from helping the Coast Guard with drug interdiction in SOUTHCOM to maritime security operations in CENTCOM. Mr. Speaker, a vote in favor of this amendment is a vote against national security, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 8167.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I was unavailable, and I missed the following roll call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted: yea on rollcall No. 257; and nay on rollcall No. 267.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend from Tennessee for this opportunity. Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the historic inflation and soaring gas prices that are hurting American families all across America. You know, as my good friend from Wisconsin was saying earlier, he talked about the 8.6 percent inflation rate and how that doesn't seem to jive with the American public. It just doesn't seem like it could possibly be 8.6 percent. My good friend talked about the inflation rate in the building industry. We are just going to talk a little bit about gas, for example, 106.7 percent; butter, margarine, 20.2 percent up; milk, up 15.9 percent; pork up 13.3 percent. How in the world can the official inflation rate actually be 8.6 percent? It doesn't make sense, Mr. Burchett. It doesn't make sense, and every American out there knows it. I am here to tell you that the sky-high prices that we see at stores and at the pump are, in large part, thanks to Democrats' planned policies to force the U.S. off of fossil fuels. On President Biden's first day in office, he ended the XL Pipeline, the Keystone XL Pipeline, suspended drilling permits, and froze oil and gas leases on public lands. The Biden administration successfully brought domestic energy production to a halt. Just 19 months ago, if you can remember, America was energy independent: $2.30-odd cents a gallon. Since then, we have seen gas more than double in price. Now, with the volatility in international oil markets caused by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, it is past time for the United States to bolster again our energy independence. Yet, instead of turning to our domestic suppliers of oil and gas, the Biden administration has turned to corrupt regimes like Venezuela, or they have gone to Saudi Arabia, or they are going. Americans across the country are struggling to fuel their cars and power their homes and businesses. Recent reports show that the average household is going to spend $5,000 more on gas this year. That is $5,000 that won't go into rising grocery bills and other costs of living increases, and we will call it 8.6 percent inflation, but we know it is more. The only way to alleviate the pressure Americans feel at the gas pump is to refocus our efforts on rebuilding America's energy independence. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 6858, the American Energy Independence from Russia Act. This bill would restart the Keystone XL pipeline, expand natural gas exports to our allies abroad, and restart oil and gas production right here in the United States. Passing this bill is a crucial step in both reducing the price of gas and strengthening our economy. It is time for the Biden administration to take responsibility for this crisis, rein in spending, and take action to increase Americans' energy independence. This incredible transition, as the President called it, has destroyed the very economy that had the potential to create the capital that was necessary and will be necessary, the capital that we could use to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy in a smooth and seamless process. That would have given us the capital for the conservation, the innovation, the adaptability, but all of that is gone. I ask the President to return us to American energy independence and let loose America's industrial might.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gohmert), my good friend, for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about a major problem facing our communities, and that is human violence. I have four children and four beautiful grandchildren who are school-aged. Madam Speaker, I have to tell you, when I turned on the television set and saw what was going on in Uvalde, Texas, my heart sank. I saw my grandchildren in the faces of those children that I saw fleeing from that horrible violence that was being conducted that afternoon. It is too often that we turn on our TV sets and see images of schools locked down and grieving communities. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, we saw that unfold in Uvalde, Texas. Yet, every time tragedy strikes, we hear the same conversation, calls for bans on firearms, universal background checks, and red flag laws. That is how we spent the last two days in this Chamber, talking about partisan bills that are, number one, redundant--a lot of these laws already exist--or number two, they are laws that will infringe on the rights of law-abiding American citizens. Ultimately, they won't fix the problem. Madam Speaker, the problem is not guns. It is not gun violence. The problem is human violence. When I was sheriff, I used to explain to my community occasionally, when gun violence--as they would call it--would erupt, and they would ask me to talk about it. Madam Speaker, I would tell the gentleman, Mr. Gohmert, I would always make the point to them that I could take that weapon off my hip, put it on that podium, and it would never, ever become violent. Now, some human may come along and pick it up and use it violently, but that is a human violence problem. It is not a gun violence problem. I carried a gun for 41 years. It never became violent. Yet, we see it over and over again. Humans are the cause of this violence. It is a cause of the grief that we are seeing today and feeling in Uvalde and Buffalo and so many other cities across America. We see it over and over again. A tragedy happens, a gunman is identified, and what do we learn? Then we learn that they showed all sorts of dangerous behavior and telltale signs of violence long before becoming a mass shooter, a murderer, killing animals, making threats, threatening words, self-harm, cutting themselves--the list goes on and on; mental health issues that should have been addressed long before they became an active shooter. Madam Speaker, but people don't want to talk about that in the wake of a tragedy. The fact is, we already have the tools to deal with these individuals once they are identified. We have the tools to stop these horrific events before they happen. One of the things, as sheriff, I used to tell my officers all the time is I don't want to be the best first responder to a mass casualty event. I want to prevent it before it occurs. Madam Speaker, I saw firsthand, countless times, when people were a danger, we stopped them before they could hurt others. We put them in jail. We arrested them for making threats. We identified them and we identified the threats that they were making, and we stopped them from acting on those threats. The challenge here, we must focus on identifying those who are a human threat to themselves and others and then intervene. Too many times after all of these events, we hear that conversation: Oh, I knew this guy. I am not surprised. Those are the conversations that we hear afterwards. We must identify those suffering from severe mental illness and formally adjudicate them so they cannot buy a firearm. That law already exists. We need to start adjudicating those who are mentally ill and a danger. And let me say this: Everyone that has a mental illness is not a danger. Many people suffer mental illness and are not a danger. But those that are, we need to adjudicate them as such so that they can't go down and buy a firearm. Those laws are already on the books, but our community must do a better job of identifying those who need help and then get them the services and treatment that they need and deserve. We could do this while also upholding basic due process rights. Our whole judicial process system is based on the assumption that people are innocent until proven guilty. But the ex-parte order issued through these red flag laws throws these fundamental rights out the window. Red flag laws take away a person's Second Amendment rights and a lower evidentiary standard without the opportunity to even defend themselves in court. Ex-parte is almost a secretive process. It is going on without the accused's knowledge. And we see how well the ex- parte process worked in the FISA courts, didn't we? The reason our judicial system works is because it is adversarial. We have people on both sides of the issue who are fighting it out in court, discussing the facts. Ex-parte, you hear one side of the story. That is all. And they want to use that to take away your Second Amendment rights. Then once deprived of those rights, now we have to prove that we are innocent. This is backwards and ineffective at solving our violence problem. Before we quickly jump to pass bad legislation--like we just passed this afternoon--let's do a better job of enforcing the laws that are already on our books. Before we rehash the same talking points and debate partisan messaging bills, let's work together on the areas where we need change. Let's work together to bolster our mental health system so we can better identify people suffering from mental illness and adjudicate them if they are a danger and provide them the treatment they need and deserve. Let's work together to strengthen penalties for those who steal and traffic in firearms. Let's work together to secure our schools and make sure that our kids have a safe place to learn. The STOP School Violence Act of 2018, which was signed into law by President Trump, when we drafted the language for that bill, the first concern that I had was identification of those who are a threat, and that is the first part of that law. The second part of that law now is CPTED, crime prevention through environmental design, how we can stop those who may be coming to our schools to commit violence. Let's work together to identify the signs of dangerous behavior and prevent these acts of violence before they even happen.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 7910 because this bill does nothing to stop human violence, which is the real problem at hand here. Straw purchases are already illegal. You can't buy a gun for someone else to get around the background check. Bump stocks are already regulated like automatic weapons, thanks to the Trump administration. Infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans is not the answer. In fact, the bill before us will even make criminals out of legal gun owners. This bill would put the Federal Government in charge of law-abiding citizens and how they store their firearms inside their own homes. This bill puts firearms storage over and above self-defense. Instead, let's work together to address human violence problems by bolstering our mental health system, identifying individuals before they become active shooters and mass murderers, and improving our school safety through crime prevention through environmental design, CPTED. It can be done.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I was unavailable, and I missed the following roll call votes. Had I been present, I would have voted: YEA on Roll Call No. 218; YEA on Roll Call No. 219; NAY on Roll Call No. 220; NAY on Roll Call No. 221; YEA on Roll Call No. 222; YEA on Roll Call No. 223; YEA on Roll Call No. 224; YEA on Roll Call No. 225; YEA on Roll Call No. 226; YEA on Roll Call No. 227; YEA on Roll Call No. 228; NAY on Roll Call No. 229; NAY on Roll Call No. 230; YEA on Roll Call No. 231; and NAY on Roll Call No. 232.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question so that we can immediately consider H.R. 7809, the Communities Deserve Cops Act. My bill will make retention and hiring bonuses allowable for COPS grants. Madam Speaker, I spent over 40 years in law enforcement, including 12 as sheriff, and I know firsthand the challenges that agencies all across America are facing in hiring, training and retaining their personnel. However, the challenges I faced as sheriff pale in comparison to what these agencies face today. Police departments across America are in the middle of a hiring crisis. After years of far-left politicians defunding, demoralizing, and delegitimizing police officers, we are seeing now the disastrous results. A recent survey, as was mentioned earlier, found some cities are facing shortages as high as 17 percent. Just last year, retirements nationwide went up 45 percent. And guess what? Violent crime also increased in every major city across the Northeast almost. Less officers equals more crime, plain and simple. Madam Speaker, this pattern of retirements and difficulty recruiting new officers is unsustainable and will have disastrous effects. My legislation makes a very small but necessary change to how COPS grants are utilized. In addition to using COPS funding to hire, train, and equip officers, agencies will be able to use Federal dollars to offer financial bonuses up to $5,000 to keep officers on the force and to attract and hire new officers. I know many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim to support law enforcement. So I ask you: Join with us in this important moment. Join with us in voting ``yes'' today that you will fund and not defund the police. As we wrap up National Police Week, let's show the police officers across America that we have their back.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, at the appropriate time, I will offer an amendment to H.R. 7309, which will increase skills development for individuals seeking careers in law enforcement, especially in these States that we have seen increasing violent crime. My amendment would modify the list of employment and workforce development activities that States must carry out with State set-aside funding under the Adult and Dislocated Worker Programs. This amendment requires that States that have experienced an increase in violent crime over the previous year use those State set-aside funds to provide training services for individuals seeking a career in law enforcement. Those funds must also support training services for law enforcement involved in border protection in relevant States. After 2 years of my colleagues across the aisle calling to defund the police, we are seeing cities in America in crisis. Police agency budgets have been slashed, making it impossible to hire, equip, and train officers. These calls have demoralized and delegitimized officers, causing high attrition rates and making it nearly impossible to hire new officers. Criminals have noticed, and violent crime is rising because of it. Just look at the news any night. It has made the already dangerous job of law enforcement even more dangerous and unsafe. And in 2021, an officer was attacked and killed every five days in America. Madam Speaker, all our communities are less safe because of it. This Police Week, instead of focusing on supporting law enforcement's hiring and retention and making our communities safer, my colleagues are forcing a partisan, flawed approach to labor force development. But my amendment will help build the workforce that we really need to focus on, and that is peace officers. At a time when law enforcement retirements are up 45 percent nationwide, and some cities still can't fill up to 17 percent of their open positions, we desperately need to invest in retraining law enforcement officers. As a former law enforcement officer myself, I know firsthand the importance of developing a strong pipeline of law enforcement cadets. We are far from that now so we must direct our Federal workforce investments to career fields that directly and positively impact the safety of our communities across America. If we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the Committee on Education and Labor to consider my amendment to invest in the next generation of our law enforcement officers. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Andrew Burk for being named St. Johns County Teacher of the Year. Mr. Burk received this honor for his work as band director and teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade music classes at Valley Ridge Academy. Teaching since 2017, he has received awards for both outstanding educational leadership and high academic classroom achievement. Mr. Burk uses innovative teaching methods to help students learn faster and play advanced music earlier in their musical development. Outside of the classroom, he was also a cofounder of the Collegiate Music Education Day at the Florida Capitol. On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Florida, I thank Mr. Burk for his dedication to educating the students of northeast Florida and for his commitment to the success of his students and peers alike. Congratulating the FOAR From Home Rowing Team

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the FOAR From Home rowing team for crossing the Atlantic Ocean in 51 days, 11 hours, and 41 minutes. The team of four from Fernandina Beach rowed more than 3,000 miles, beginning in the Canary Islands and ending in Antigua. This unbelievable accomplishment was part of an annual race that takes place in December and included 30 different rowing teams. The FOAR From Home team consisted of four American veterans: Billy Cimino of the United States Army, Cameron Hansen of the United States Air Force, A.M. Huppmann of the United States Navy, and Paul Lore of the United States Marine Corps. The team raised money to help end veteran suicide, with proceeds going to K9s for Warriors, an organization in northeast Florida that pairs service dogs with veterans suffering from PTSD. On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Florida, I thank FOAR From Home for their individual service to our Nation, and I congratulate them on a once-in-a-lifetime team accomplishment.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to call up H.R. 471, the PAUSE Act, to protect all Americans from Biden's border crisis.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 3807.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the memory of Steven Spickelmier who passed away at the age of 77 after a long battle with COVID-19. Steve was a U.S. Navy and Air National Guard veteran, retiring as a master sergeant after 26 years of military service. His unmatched energy and positive impact on servicemen, veterans, and their families throughout northeast Florida displayed his incredible servant's heart. Among Steve's many local roles, he served as chairman of the Veterans Council of Duval County and chairman of the Support Committee at Jacksonville National Cemetery, Madam Speaker, where he championed the annual Wreaths Across America program and the Memorial Day service. He was president of the Air Force Sergeants Association, Chapter 559, and field operations director for Florida's Missing in America project. Steve attended Mandarin United Methodist Church and, among many other roles, he served as a church van driver for residents of a nearby retirement home to ensure all could worship together each Sunday. On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Florida, I offer condolences to all who knew and loved Steve, especially his wife Glenda, the love of his life, for over 33 years. Congratulating Mr. Charles Darwin Magdaluyo, Duval County's Teacher of the Year

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Charles Darwin Magdaluyo for being named Duval County's Teacher of the Year. Charles received this honor for his work teaching ninth and twelfth grade human anatomy and physiology at Jean Ribault High School. Serving as a teacher for 7 years, Mr. Magdaluyo is dedicated to helping students understand and succeed, even in difficult circumstances. Charles works with students to overcome the challenges and struggles they face, helping them to grow as individuals and develop skills that will help them long after they graduate. On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Florida, I thank Charles for his dedication to educating the students of northeast Florida and for his commitment to the success of his students and peers alike. Congratulating Ms. Shelby Goodwin, Nassau County Teacher of the Year

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Shelby Goodwin for being named Nassau County Teacher of the Year. Ms. Goodwin received this honor for her work teaching AP language and AP literature at Yulee High School. Serving as a teacher for 6 years, Ms. Goodwin aims to help students learn lifelong lessons through an engaging classroom experience. Ms. Goodwin supports her students' development by working with them in class, coaching them in athletics, sponsoring student clubs, and co- directing a musical theater production. On behalf of the Fourth Congressional District of Florida, I thank Ms. Goodwin for her dedication to educating the students of northeast Florida and for her commitment to the success of her students and peers alike.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Mr. Speaker, in honor of Black History Month, I would like to recognize a special place in my district, Fort Mose. Near St. Augustine, Florida, it was the first legally sanctioned, free Black settlement in what is now the United States. As early as the late 1600s, freedom seekers escaped enslavement in the English colonies and made their way to St. Augustine, then under Spanish rule. An estimated 100 Africans were then given freedom in exchange for adopting Catholicism and declaring allegiance to Spain. In 1994, the Fort Mose site was designated as a historic national landmark. Fort Mose embodies the fight for freedom by Black Americans in the early days of our country, and it highlights a piece of Black history that is dramatically different from the more familiar story of slavery and oppression.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the men and women in law enforcement who risk their lives every day to keep us safe. In return, Congress owes it to them to do everything in our power to keep them safe. As many of you know, I spent over 40 years in law enforcement, including 12 years as sheriff of Duval County, Florida. Sadly, some of my friends and colleagues paid the ultimate price in the line of duty. In fact, our memorial wall is filled with the names of too many good police officers who laid down their lives in service to their community. When you are called to policing, you know the undertaking that you are taking is a dangerous job. This growing antipolice rhetoric and widespread efforts to defund police departments are leaving officers increasingly at risk to attacks, and communities are less safe. In 2022, 89 officers around the country lost their lives to gunfire, beatings, stabbing, or vehicular assault, officers like Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers, who was killed last year in an attack while conducting a traffic stop in northeast Florida. So, what are we doing in Congress to help stop these attacks? I have introduced a bipartisan bill called the Protect and Serve Act, which would increase penalties for individuals who deliberately target law enforcement officers with violence. In 2018, the Protect and Serve Act overwhelmingly passed the House 382-35. I urge my Democrat colleagues to come back to the table and support this important legislation. Police officers' lives depend on it.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I was unavailable and missed Roll Call votes 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 2; NAY on Roll Call No. 3; NAY on Roll Call No. 7; NAY on Roll Call No. 8; NAY on Roll Call No. 9; and YEA on Roll Call No. 10.

Mr. RUTHERFORD

Mr. RUTHERFORD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Uncle Sam, also known as Pastor Terry Horn, on his longstanding and excellent work serving the children of our northeast Florida community. Pastor Terry and his wife, Cynthia, run an organization called Metro City Kids, which teaches hope, healing, and patriotism to at-risk youth in inner-city Jacksonville. They teach a faith-based program that is focused on Biblical truths, moral values, good manners, and citizenship. Uncle Sam and Cynthia are truly making a difference. In fact, after the first 5 years in ministry in Jacksonville's public housing, juvenile crime, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, dropped 40 percent on those properties where they minister. Thank you to Uncle Sam for making northeast Florida a safer and happier place for our youth.